Raid on Yingkou

For a topical guide, see Outline of the Russo-Japanese War.

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of the Russo-Japanese War.

Raid on Yingkou
Part of the Russo-Japanese War
Mishchenko's raid on Yingkou
Date 1905 Location Manchuria, (modern day China) Result Russian victory Russian troops were able to inflict a number of major defeats on the Japanese and disrupt logistics [1] Most of the large warehouses in Yingkou were destroyed [2]
Belligerents
Russia	Japan
Commanders and leaders
Pavel Mishchenko	Unknown
Casualties and losses
408 killed and wounded, 158 horses	600 killed and wounded, 234 captured

The Raid on Yingkou ^[a] was a military raid performed by Russian cavalry during the Russo-Japanese War in which the Russian forces would be successful in their goals. ^[3]

Background

With the surrender of Port Arthur, the course of the war radically changed as the Japanese no longer had to fight on 2 fronts. The armies of Nogi Maresuke and Ōyama Iwao planned on joining up and on further invading Manchuria. In response, the Russian command, led by Pavel Mishchenko, developed a planned raid to prevent the joining of Japanese troops. ^[4]

Raid

On the 9th of January 1905, Cossacks led by Mishchenko were split into 3 columns to raid the left flank of the Japanese position. Six patrols from the left column were allocated to destroy the railroad, but most of the forces were allocated rushing to the warehouses. ^{[5] [6] [7]} On the twelfth of January Colonel Khoranov launched another offensive to prevent the transfer of Japanese reinforcements. ^[8] This offensive would reach to the coast where the artillery would shell the city. Ultimately, with more Japanese reinforcements coming, the Russian forces decided to return to their original positions. ^[9]

Aftermath

Although due to the lack of secrecy of the operation the progress was very slow. ^[10] Russian forces were able to destroy the large warehouses in Yingkou whilst taking minimal casualties. ^[7] From a moral standpoint, the raid was an absolute victory of Russia, both raising the morals of the Russian troops but also making the Japanese worry about future raids. ^{[11] [12]}

References

1. С. Ольденбург. Царствование Николая 2. С.255
2. С. Ольденбург. Царствование Николая 2. С.255
3. Solovʹev, L. Z. (1906). Actual Experiences in War: Battle Action of the Infantry; Impressions of a Company Commander. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 96.
4. Levitsky 1936, p. 246.
5. Levitsky 1936, p. 247.
6. Ukhach-Ogorovich 1908, p. 17.
7. Oldenburg 1991, p. 272.
8. Levitsky 1936, p. 247-248.
9. Levitsky 1936, p. 249.
10. Levitsky 1936, p. 250.
11. Ukhach-Ogorovich 1908, p. 68.
12. Ukhach-Ogorovich 1908, p. 70-71.

Bibliography

• Oldenburg, Sergey (1991). Царствование императора Николая 2[The Reign of Emperor Nicholas 2] (in Russian). St. Petersburg. ISBN   5-88560-088-0.
• Borisyuk, Andrey (2022). История России, которую приказали забыть. Николай II и его время[The history of Russia, which was ordered to be forgotten. Nicholas II and his time] (in Russian) (4th ed.). St. Petersburg: Питер. ISBN   978-5-4484-3841-7.
• Levitsky, Nikolai (1936). Русско-японская война 1904-1905 гг.[Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905] (in Russian). Moscow.
• Ukhach-Ogorovich, Nikolai (1908). Набег на Инкоу : [эпизод из Русско-Японской войны] : исследованиеч[Raid on Yingkou: [episode from the Russo-Japanese War]: research] (in Russian). Kyiv.
• Airapetov, Oleg (2004). Русско-японская война 1904 - 1905. Взгляд через столетие[The Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905. A View Through the Century] (in Russian). ISBN   5-94607-038-X.

Notes

1. Russian: Набег на Инкоу